When it comes to small business marketing, a new tool is QR Codes. These little boxes are starting to pop up in newspapers and magazines. In Camden Maine, QR codes are being embraced by small business owners in their marketing toolkit. Brian Hodges, the economic development director for Camden is leading the way for the local small businesses.

QR codes are images are essentially hyperlinks that smartphones can scan with the right application. Once an image is scanned the phone’s Internet browser is directed to a website. For instance, on a Starbucks cup of coffee, a QR code — short for “quick response” — might bring smartphone users to the company’s website for a special coupon.

Some downtown businesses have stepped up. The gift shop Once a Tree uses them on its business cards. The Smiling Cow gift shop, which is closed for the season, posted two of the images in its window to direct off-season customers to its website. Some local real estate businesses put them side-by-side with their listings.

“QR codes are perfect at bridging the offline with online,” Hodges said at a free seminar for small-business owners on Wednesday. “These are a mystery to some and old hat to others, but it’s basically a bar code to the Internet.”

Hodges unraveled the mystery: Basically, businesspeople just need to find a free QR code generator online and type in the Web address they want the image to direct people to. Voila. Then the business can make stickers with the image, print it on business cards or display a QR code in their store front.

“The sky is the limit,” Hodges said.

In Camden, Hodges is working on putting together a walking tour of historic landmarks. If the town can install small placards with QR codes, it can direct people to more information about the places without spending a ton of time or money on huge signs with lots of information.

The idea seemed to catch on with the nine business owners attending Wednesday’s seminar.

“I’m a troglodyte when it comes to social media. I have no young employees to help me either,” said Janet Blevins, the owner of Knight Equestrian Books in Edgecomb, who came to learn more about how the codes work. “It takes a lot of time to do social media, like Facebook, but this I can do easily.”

For her, it’s difficult to sell some types of books without explaining their benefit. For instance, she has a new book by a horse trainer who thought of a new training method.

“I’ve never sold a copy without talking to the person,” Blevins said. When she does talk to people, they want it. Her idea is to put up a QR code by the book that could link to a YouTube video of the particular training method to show how it works, in action.

Libby Schrum, who is the owner of a start-up furniture-making company in Camden said QR codes will be especially helpful to her because she has no storefront and relies on Web traffic to her site for sales.

Mike Leonard is just starting up his business too. His ambitious plans for QR codes included wrapping them all around his car.

“Anyone who sees me driving can scan it and go to my website,” he said.

The seminar is the first of its kind for Camden, which co-hosted the course with Women, Work and Community. But Hodges expects to do more workshops like the QR one to help local business owners navigate new media and other issues.

 

To view this article by Heather Steves in the Bangor Daily News click here. This has been quite an eye opener for me, as I was thinking  that they wouldn’t apply in my business. Yes I was wrong, yet again 🙂 I can see how these little squares can give me another edge  in marketing my small business…. at least I’ll look like I’m up with the latest, what about you?

 

As most startup owners will tell you, introducing a new business to the market requires giving a lot of thought to key success factors, which often vary by industry. A common denominator for all of them is credibility. A startup has to figure out how to convince its target audience that it is a worthy supplier. But proving how great you are is not easy. Regardless of your business model and your target audience, trust is something that needs to be earned in order to build a customer base and brand loyalty. Credibility can quickly be generated by word of mouth. Social media has made it simpler and faster to spread the news of a good product or service. At the same time, it has never been easier or quicker to permanently tarnish a reputation. There are several strategies, regardless of your industry, that can be put into place to gain brand momentum and credibility:

 

Are you an expert at something?

 

If so, let media know about it. Reach out to key media influencers in your sector and introduce yourself and your expertise. Make yourself accessible so that they know they have a reliable resource on an as-needed basis. A simple mention in a story or a television appearance is the first step toward building trust with your audience.

 

Do you have a few happy customers?

 

Let the world know about them. Incorporate written and video testimonials wherever possible. Include those testimonials in all proposals and e-marketing materials. Every positive reinforcement turns a potential client into a paying customer.

 

Does your industry have a certification or awards program?

 

Nothing sounds better than hearing about an “award-winning” product or service. Endorsements from credible third-party organizations help establish trust.

 

Build a network of “brand ambassadors.”

 

This is a very natural way to achieve credibility. Offer users an incentive to start talking about you. Sampling programs, freebies, great promotions … these are great first steps. What the brand ambassadors are saying about you will have far more value than what you have to say about yourself.

 

Excel at customer service.

 

As a business owner you’ve heard this many times, but these are words to live by. Nothing will impress a potential client more than impeccable and immediate customer service. Wow them right from the start so they don’t even consider getting a quote from a competitor.

 

Implement a social media strategy.

 

If you think social media is a fad, you need to ask the more than 225 million Twitter users and excess of 750 million Facebook users what they think about that. Social media has made it incredibly easy to build a following. If this is not your strength, outsource it to someone who knows what they are doing. The last thing you want is to have a conversation happening about your company in the Twittersphere and not be a part of it.

 

Align yourself with strategic partners.

 

Perhaps there are organizations within your industry that offer complementary services to your own, which you can leverage to make your company a full-service organization. The more services you offer clients, the less chance they will go elsewhere. A one-stop shop is your goal.

 

Exceed client expectations.

 

Even if it means making a little less money at first. Customers will appreciate the extra effort and they will most likely be happy to recommend you to colleagues and to continue doing business with you.

 

Focus on your core competencies.

 

Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Establish your niche and own it by being better than everyone else.

 

Constantly talk to your customers and get their feedback.

 

You will ensure you are meeting their needs and you will get free market research on how well you are doing.

 

Implement these strategies no matter where you are in the life-cycle of your business and you will quickly see your credibility and brand awareness grow. Ignore them and you will be faced with the reality that your credibility might grow too slowly to keep up with your competitors.

 

 

Yes I so agree with what has been said. I am nearly 5 years into a small business and can see with hindsight that if I had done more to build my brand I would have progressed at a greater rate. This small business marketing advice is to get you thinking about your business brand. In a retail situation this is over and above the brands that you sell. I would love to hear if this has got you thinking of taking your business to the next level.

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